


Learn to Love (Completely)

by Komatsu



Series: Invisible Bonds [3]
Category: Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-04
Updated: 2014-05-04
Packaged: 2018-01-21 21:12:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1564226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Komatsu/pseuds/Komatsu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE TRUE ENDING.</p><p>The Dark Aurora shakes them, but their enemy cannot break the bonds between them. As the heroes retreat and regroup, exhausted and worn from the fighting, they rediscover the trust between them all.  They've learned to love each other and that love will see them through.</p><p>The (UNCUT) final chapter of Learn to Love, posted as its own separate entity due to the content and the length.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Learn to Love (Completely)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a polyamorous piece, though the major pairings are Tiz/Agnes and Edea/Ringabel, both established (part of the ficverse containing 'Maybe Tomorrow' and an unposted Tiz/Agnes piece). Combinations of every possible pairing in the group at one point or another.

There are no words to describe what she is feeling. Edea's chest hurts so much and the quiet in the air is absolutely stifling on her thoughts… it makes her sick. She wants to scream and shout, wants to throw things and maybe break a couple of tables. But the object of her anger - her hatred - isn't here.

How could they have been so foolish? Why hadn't she tried harder to get her father and Master - Alternis to talk? How could she have ignored all the signs? They'd talked about it - as best as they could - but they hadn't taken the right action. And now what? The end of everything?

She hated Airy, but most of all she hated herself.

They were waiting for Agnès and Tiz to return to the bridge. Ringabel was just beginning to finish up repairs to Grandship, and the instant he sat down for a rest she moved over to sit on his lap, arms tightly crossed and shoulders hunched.

He looked surprised, but also wary at her mood. However, his arms wrapped around her waist without complaint and he held her close, leaning his head against her shoulder. That was acceptable, she decided, her arms slowly relaxing. It was still a little difficult to come to terms that they had consummated their love, a happy moment that seemed like forever ago now, but that touch of his was comforting and very wanted. She sighed, and leaned against him in turn, trying to meditate and get rid of all her pent up anger again before they moved forward. She needed a clear head. No more mistakes.

Edea had almost dozed off in Ringabel's arms, lulled into a sense of security by his gentle hand on her back and exhausted from the day's events, when Tiz quietly came back into the bridge, resolve straightening his back. It was not very much longer after that Agnès joined them, her face red and splotchy as though she had been crying, but her eyes were clear and her jaw was set.

It was settled, then. Airy had delivered them all a grave insult, and they were not going to roll over and let her end everything!

At least… that had been the plan.

And they'd learned all too harshly that things very rarely went according to their plans.

It seemed simple enough. After they'd had a chance to rendezvous with Sage Yulyana and Lord DeRosso, learning  _much_  along the way, they would infiltrate the Dark Aurora that covered the Great Chasm. Find their way down to the traitorous, monstrous Airy. Defeat her. Defeat whatever else the universe might throw their way. What they hadn't counted on was the sheer amount of enemies that popped out of the twisted and broken paths. And they were  _hard_  to defeat, leaving them to heal wounds and rest between fights. Progress was agonizingly slow.

This was beyond frustrating. Edea kicked a piece of broken wood out of her way after yet another fight, wishing they could just reach the little fairy and wring her neck! Oh, what she would have given for something sweet to gnaw on...

She watched with disinterest as the wood ricocheted off the ledge nearby and hit Ringabel in the ankle. It was just a piece of wood, after all; Ringabel had endured worse (much worse). The man yelped in pain and stumbled, and she frowned.

"W-what was…?" He knelt to examine his leg, nudging the wood aside and glancing over at her. "Please be more careful, Edea." His voice was strained as he massaged the bruise that was sure to form.

He was overreacting. "Don't tell me what to do!" She snapped at him. As soon as the words left her mouth, she simultaneously felt guilt and a bit of a relief at having found an outlet for her inner frustration. "You were standing in the way. You're too slow."

His brow furrowed and he stood, back stiff. "We're on a narrow path. There's no need to be kicking anything. What if that had hit Agnès?"

At the sound of her name, the vestal looked over from where she was healing her own wounds. Edea ignored her in favor of arguing with Ringabel. "Well, it didn't!" Her voice rose defensively. "What if it had come back and hit me? Or am I not important?"

"You guys…" Tiz was beside her now, his hand on her elbow. "Come on, let's keep going, okay? There's another magic circle up ahead, we can rest there. You know the monsters don't follow us…"

Edea shrugged Tiz's hand away. "Stay out of this, Tiz! And don't act like a giant baby, Ringabel. Or don't you want to defeat Airy?"

Ringabel had been moving down the path, as though trying to avoid her and her arguments, but she had struck a nerve. Of course he wanted to defeat Airy. He'd wanted to since his memories had begun to return, and it had killed him inside to allow her to continue her treachery. Edea knew the basics of what had happened, what Airy had done… how could she doubt him? He made his way back the group, and as he spoke, his voice was low and dark, a growling from the back of his throat.

"You, of all people, should know how deep my hatred for that monster extends," he spoke in a voice that was not quite his own. "I will do anything to make sure she burns in hell."

It frightened her, that sound of his voice. She spoke without thinking. "You'd better protect us this time."

She regretted her words before they ever left her mouth, and actually gasped when they hit him, his pale eyes growing wide with genuine hurt as the hatred and anger fled them both along with all the color in their faces. She'd gone too far and she felt her bottom lip tremble. Throwing away her pride for love, she opened her mouth to beg his forgiveness, and-

"That's enough!" Agnès screamed, and Edea's mouth snapped shut as the other three turned to look at the vestal. Agnès was standing now, having finished healing, and she was upset, tears of anger rolling down her face. Edea had rarely seen her like this.

"We are to fight  _Airy_!" Agnès continued, and she stomped over to them, clutching Tiz and Edea's arms in her hands. "Not  _each other_! Please, stop this madness!" She sobbed as Tiz wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and Edea leaned against her friend, crooning quietly.

They were trying to soothe her in their own ways, and Edea had just wrapped her arms around Agnès's waist for a hug when she heard the familiar chime of a teleport stone and …

They were suddenly standing outside of the Dark Aurora, the magic circle that was its entrance just feet away.

"Ringabel, what are you --" Tiz was cut off by the older boy when Ringabel's arms wrapped around his friends. He was trembling.

"We need rest, and it's getting dark. It has been some days since Airy has fled here—" They'd gone to the Yulyana Woods, then to the Dimension's Hasp in order to search for better weapons, and  _then_  finally returned. "—One more day should be fine. We all need to rest." His voice was firm, even if his touch was not.

The thankfully short trek back through the ravine was a quiet one, tense and awkward. Edea stewed in her regret, feelings tumbling inside her until she felt like she'd be sick if she even opened her mouth. How could she say such hurtful things to her friends - and to Ringabel? Sure, the two of them had argued in one way or another since the moment they'd met, but that was just playful teasing, compared to what had just happened. What she'd said had actually hurt his feelings and she had dared to claim that they were friends, that she loved him…

She was brought out of her thoughts by Ringabel's hand wrapping gently around her own on the narrow ravine path, and he smiled down at her when she glanced up. "Just a little longer," he told her quietly. Tiz and Agnès were ahead of them, their shoulders touching. Edea envied them their closeness.

"Ringabel, I…" He cut her off with a shake of his head. The long day had ruined his hairstyle, and parts of his normally pristine locks were hanging down, heavy with grease and dirt.

"We'll talk later." He promised, and his hand squeezed hers gently. "I love you, Edea."

She took in a shuddering breath, some of the tension and fear she had felt escaping like mist. "I love you too. I'm sorry." She said in a quiet, breathless tone, and when his smile widened, she felt a warmth in her chest, despite the cold that emanated from the ravine walls.

Ringabel known Edea for years, after all. Both  _this_  girl and the one last… he knew she said things in fits of anger that she regretted later. Though it was hard not to take those things personally, and it  _did_  hurt, he'd done plenty of stupid things in anger as well. At least she didn't kill people in  _her_  fits of rage, even if the concoctions she cooked as a show of apology threatened to.

Finally they were back in their little home they'd made in the inn on Grandship, exhausted, dirty and worn. Edea shucked out of her Asterisk clothing as soon as the door was shut behind them, not caring if Tiz and Ringabel were still in the room, and collapsed on the nearest bed.

Tiz averted his eyes like a gentleman, while Ringabel wordlessly dropped a clean blanket over her form. Agnès sank down onto her own bed, breathing hard, and watching her friends.

"Where are Datz, Zatz, and the Proprietress?" Ringabel asked the shepherd.

Edea was the one who answered, her words muffled slightly until she tugged the blanket off her face. "Right now? Probably in the Drunken Pig... but I'm not hungry. You guys can eat without me."

She had her eyes closed, and could not see the look of concern that passed between her friends. For Edea to forgo food, something had to be very wrong indeed. Ringabel's hand moved to caress her wild hair.

"I'll bring us dinner," he told her and the others, once again assuming the role of protective big brother. Ever since his memory had returned, he'd been doing that more and more, it seemed. "The rest of you just stay here. Perhaps clean up." He laughed. They were all grimy and smelled rather gross. Maybe that was what had been attracting the monsters.

"No, Ringabel." Edea groaned and sat up with some effort, tucking the blanket against her chest in a display of modesty. "I'll go with you." She still needed to talk to him.

That made him laugh again. "With what clothing, exactly?" The sound of his laughter was sincere, and she offered him a smile, closing her eyes briefly when he leaned over to kiss her forehead. She grabbed at his collar with her hands and pulled him down a little closer for a more proper kiss, murmuring into his mouth when their lips met. He returned the gesture with a low noise, sliding one knee onto the bed as he leaned over her, pressing a little closer. Their mouths opened with practiced ease and she accepted the entrance of his tongue, curling her own around his and breathing in his scent through her nose. He smelled like sweat and dirt and a bit of darkness, and her arms wrapped around his waist to tug him closer, letting the blanket slide down her torso and their tongues sliding together as sure as their bodies. Ringabel had moved to lay Edea onto her back when…

Tiz threw a pillow at the back of Ringabel's head, jarring the blonde couple out of their kiss.

When Ringabel turned to look, the shepherd's face was red, and Agnès was holding her hands over her face. Edea flushed when she remembered where they were, and covered herself up again.

"Sorry," Ringabel had the good graces to be embarrassed, though he returned Tiz's pillow with a light toss.

"It's bad enough you had to break my bed," Tiz grumbled as he caught the toss, but he was smiling all the same. "Don't go breaking another one."

They all shared a laugh at that, even Agnès, as Ringabel muttered and looked away, his face turning red. It wasn't as if they'd broken it on my purpose. There was something about seeing him of all people get flustered and embarrassed that was just funny, at least to Edea. Laughter seemed so foreign after the events of the past few days, it was desperately needed.

Despite her own embarrassment, Edea still wrapped her arm around his waist when Ringabel settled on the bed beside her, Tiz sitting beside Agnès and holding her close. Though they were on opposite sides of the room, there was still a closeness between them, and they sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments.

"I... want to apologize," Edea broke the silence, and her free hand clutched tightly at the blanket covering her. All eyes turned toward her. "I was acting like a fool, and I made us lose our focus." This would work for now, because it was true. She could apologize to Ringabel privately later, about that awful thing she'd said to him.

"We were all on edge," Tiz reassured her, and when she looked over, his arm was comfortably over Agnès's shoulder, petting her. "It would have happened sooner or later." Ringabel nodded his agreement.

Agnès spoke next, her voice quiet. "You need not apologize, Edea. You are not the one to blame." They all went quiet. "It was not your actions that led to these events. You are not the fool!" She breathed in, shuddering. "I am."

"That's not true at all, Agnès!" Edea protested immediately, and she got off the bed to cross the room and join her friends on the bigger bed, wrapping the blanket loosely around herself. It was fine, it was just them, after all. "This isn't your fault!" The argument certainly hadn't been her fault, but the situation wasn't either. The blame for the tragedy that had spanned numerous worlds lay only with the lying Airy. "This isn't your fault. This is not your fault" she repeated, and her arms joined Tiz's around Agnès's form. To her surprise, she then felt Ringabel's arms around the three of them again, like earlier.

For a few moments, they huddled. It was kind of nice, Edea decided. She was warm and comfortable like this, surrounded by the feeling and the scent of her friends (even if they did smell kind of gross). Nuzzling into Agnès's hair, Edea found herself kissing the top of the vestal's head.

Kisses always made  _her_  feel better, after all.

Indeed, Agnès made a quiet, pleased little sound and her arms wrapped around Edea's waist to squeeze lightly. She lifted her head to return the gesture, kissing Edea's cheek, making her giggle.

Affection among friends wasn't uncommon, especially among this group of friends… they had shared kisses in various forms before, whether the others had seen or not. Agnès had found that while it was…  _different_ , it was appreciated, and it always sparked something in her chest when she was kissed, no matter who it was from.

"Oh?" Ringabel was smiling as he watched the two girls. "Shall we leave you two alone?" Edea couldn't see him, as he was behind her, but she could practically  _hear_  his eyebrows waggling. She elbowed him.

"Getting jealous?" She quipped. "Don't worry, I probably won't leave you for Agnès. Probably."

"Edea!" The vestal gasped, sounding scandalized, but Tiz seemed to find it funny, chuckling lightly.

"Who wouldn't want to run away with Agnès?" He said, and he smiled down at the vestal when she looked up at him, her cheeks red, but a small smile on her face as well.

"I would," Ringabel said, and his arm squeezed Edea's waist gently. "For the lady vestal, I would happily travel to the ends of the earth."

"Me too!" Edea confessed. "Though I suppose you could say that we… already have. To the ends of the world, and beyond the boundaries of the worlds after, haven't we?"

They went quiet again. And Agnès spoke after a long moment, "You all have done so much for me. Risking life and limb for my cause, and now… helping me to fix my mistake. I cannot express in words how grateful I am for you." She took in a deep, shuddering breath.

"Oh, no…" Edea caught the tears that threatened to spill over the Vestal's eyes. So did Ringabel, it seemed, because he moved forward to cradle Agnès's face with the hand that wasn't at Edea's hip, squishing her cheeks lightly until she was made to smile, a little embarrassed.

"If you have made a mistake, then we all have. Each of us are responsible for Airy's actions. You needn't carry that burden alone." His voice was low and solemn, and the edge of darkness that she could hear in it made Edea privately despair. There was a slight pause before he said, "We're here for you." in a tone that sounded much closer to his usual, light and almost carefree. And then he leaned over to kiss Agnès's forehead too, ruffling her bangs as he pulled back.

She squeaked.

"Ohh, are we all kissing Agnès now?" Edea laughed, not offended in the least. That sounded like a great idea. Kisses were great, never failed to fix things. She leaned back and watched Tiz take his turn, shifting so that he could chastely kiss Agnès on the mouth. He was allowed to. And Edea's heart swelled with love and affection for all of her friends.

"I love you, Agnès," Tiz said quietly, though he knew that the others could hear. "You are my hope. Allow me to be yours, too. None of us are going to just leave now." Indeed, he had vowed to stay by her side until the very end. And that meant seeing this evil dead and buried.

Agnès made a pleased noise against Tiz's neck, tucking herself into it. She could feel the love from all of her friends. Though they may not have been close when they first joined forces, now she felt they were inseparable. Things had been hard during their months long journey, and they hadn't always gotten along. They had sacrificed and lost so much, and gained so little. They'd fought, screamed at each other, hurt each other, but now she felt nothing but safe in their embrace. She sighed with contentment and leaned against him.

The quiet atmosphere of affection almost made up for earlier, Edea decided. But… but…

"Agnès?" She asked, and she'd never felt more unsure about anything in her life. She bit her lip, could see the others looking at her…

"Yes, Edea?" The vestal's gaze on her was even and a little curious. But it was also warm.

"May I please kiss you too?" A proper kiss. With lips and everything. Edea looked up at Tiz. "No offense, Tiz!"

Agnès opened her mouth, then closed it, and looked up at Tiz the best she could from the angle he was holding her. He nodded, and she looked back at Edea. "You may, of course. And- And if Ringabel so wishes as well…"

Ringabel shook his head. "I'm very flattered, Agnès. But a man knows when to draw some boundaries when it comes to his best friend's partner. What is that saying, Tiz… bros before -"

Whatever that stupid saying was, Edea had already leaned forward to press her lips against Agnès's. They were soft, very soft, and warm. Agnès let out a tiny, shocked little noise against Edea's mouth, but did not pull away. Edea wasn't feeling quite so bold as to use her tongue, and so after a moment she pulled back, her cheeks red. She looked up to tell Ringabel not to be so weird—

And saw that he was kissing Tiz, his hand tangling in the shepherd's short messy hair as they held the kiss. She swallowed hard when she noticed the glimpses of their tongues sliding together between their mouths, and felt a heat she was still inexperienced with blossoming between her legs. Beside her, Agnès made a small sound, and Edea found herself being tugged back down for another kiss.

Tiz had been surprised enough when Ringabel kissed him, even more so when tongues had been brought into the equation, shyly experimenting with his own comfort zones and knowledge, groaning a little into the other man's mouth at the unexpected intensity of it and how it was making him a little hard, his cock tenting in his pants, much to his consternation. Ringabel was good at kissing and generally being a nuisance of himself, after all. And then they'd parted, licking at each other's lips slowly, and had turned to see their partners in a deep kiss of their own, their bodies sliding together, Agnès's legs opening so that Edea could fit between, the smaller girl's bare breasts pressing against the other's chest.

For a second, there was a prick of jealousy in his chest, but beyond that he felt total embarrassment and arousal. The girls weren't doing this for either him or Ringabel, only for themselves, but it turned him on all the same. His hand moved almost of its own accord to the front of his pants, kneading slightly to relieve a bit of the discomfort that was building.

"Crystals," Ringabel breathed, and Tiz was suddenly very warm with Ringabel at his back, one of the other man's hands shifting around to join the shepherd's, their fingers tangling. "They're beautiful, aren't they?" His admiration of the female form was noticeable in his voice, but Tiz had to agree, sweat rolling down his throat at the sensations he was feeling inside and out. His legs felt a little weak, even kneeling as he was, and he leaned back so that he could sit on Ringabel's legs.

"Um…" He wondered if he or Ringabel should stop the girls. Not because there was anything wrong with what they were  _doing_ , per se, but because he was beginning to want Agnès. A lot. His pants were getting a little painful.

"May I?" Ringabel asked and the man's voice was a little hoarse with his own need. Unable to take his eyes off the women in front of him, Tiz nodded, swallowing hard, and was unable to stop the moan from the back of his throat as Ringabel made quick work of the zipper in front of his pants, freeing his aching cock from its confinement. He leaned back against Ringabel's chest and wrapped his hands around the man's wrists, giving him free reign to touch him - Tiz was a healthy teenager, and no stranger to masturbation, but it was so much better if someone else was stroking him.

Edea groaned against the other girl's mouth, slipping her tongue out so that she could lick hesitantly at Agnès's mouth. She didn't really know what Agnès was used to, but breathed out a sigh of relief when the Vestal's lips parted and accepted her in, though somewhat hesitantly at first. She pressed into Agnès, hands slipping down to grasp at the woman's waist as they kissed, Edea's tongue curling and sliding in and out of the other's mouth. Her sex pulsed in time with the motions, and she eagerly increased the pace, noticing with some excitement that Agnès responded in kind, her actions becoming surer with every passing second. Edea pressed herself against the other woman, not minding if the cover of blanket had slipped off her. Agnès was so soft and warm, she couldn't help but wiggle against her and move so that she could press her thigh up between the other's legs. The noise that the brunette made was exciting, and Edea was getting much too warm just doing this… she crept her hand down to the hem of Agnès's skirt, made closer as the other woman drew her legs up, and started to tug it up.

Edea had to break the kiss, even if only to breathe, and when her lips parted from Agnès's, she paused. Agnès looked so flustered underneath her. Flustered, but her lips were open and inviting, slightly swollen from their hungry kiss, the Vestal's cheeks stained a healthy pink. It was actually quite attractive, Edea thought. Agnès was so beautiful. She felt jealous.

Agnès swallowed hard, a slight moan escaping her lips. Edea leaned over to kiss her again, but then brown eyes flicked over to the side and Agnès gasped, and Edea instead followed the other's gaze.

Ringabel had moved on from merely kissing Tiz to actually touching him, apparently, and the shepherd's erection was on full display as Ringabel's hand stroked him from head to shaft, slowly but firmly. Her eyes followed the movement before lifting up to look at Tiz's bright red face. They'd been caught. The sight of it made heat boil between her legs. She was going to have to take her panties off soon, it seemed. They were getting in the way and getting so very dirty.

"Agnès," Edea turned back to the woman underneath her, who had stuck one of her fingers into her own mouth, her eyes wide and curious as she watched the two boys. Ringabel had always been something of an exhibitionist, and with a tiny smile on his face, his pace increased now that he knew they being watched, Tiz's hips jerking up into the contact. Agnès took in a deep, shuddering breath. "Agnès," Edea repeated, until the girl looked up at her, and her gaze was hazy. "I'm gonna go touch that."

Edea was respectful that the two of them were partners, and besides that were  _best friends,_  so she wasn't going to go and touch Tiz intimately if Agnès wouldn't want it. Agnès nodded though, and her flush grew even deeper, her free hand moving down to fist in her long skirts. Hopefully Tiz would want it too. Edea wanted to take a closer look at his length - for purely academic reasons, of course.

Moving closer, she straddled his legs and pressed herself against Tiz's chest, effectively trapping him between herself and the other blond (like a sandwich, she thought with a grin), and her hand wrapped around his cock, replacing Ringabel's as he shifted, then moved away to crawl around them, moving toward Agnès. "May I?" She had no way of knowing Ringabel had already asked the same question.

"Ah?" Tiz was beyond flustered. Edea cut his noise off with her lips, and he leaned eagerly into her. His lips were a little chapped, she found, because of his habit of worrying the delicate skin away with his teeth when he was anxious or nervous, and she ran her tongue along the minuscule fractures, trying to coax him out of his shell. He made a pleased noise and she giggled slightly with nerves - this was  _Tiz_  she was kissing, after all. His tongue was a little more hesitant, a little (just a little) less experienced, but it slid easily against hers and entered her mouth. It was then that he gained some courage, or at least some boldness, and it was Edea's turn to moan as his tongue explored, thrusting and curling as he got used to her, and she was unable to keep herself from reacting, her hips starting to roll of their own accord. A hand pressed against the outside of her wet panties and stroked her.

She couldn't let that distract her from what she wanted to do - touch him. She had to swallow and breathe, opening her legs to give him a bit better access and to steady herself, her fingers drawing up the length of his penis. It amazed her - she knew people had different bodies obviously, and there were stark differences between herself and Agnès as well, but she was so much more familiar with the female body than with the male and expected that. This was different. She gripped him gently with one hand, pushing back the foreskin that covered the head of his member with the fingers of another, listening to the man's soft cries as she played with him. Using his moans as a sort of reference, she started to stroke him.

Ringabel turned his back to let his partner do what she willed with Tiz, secure enough in the knowledge that they were  _all_  friends that she could have fun with if she so wanted. Instead, he knelt beside the Vestal, who had started to press her fingers into the area between her legs, cushioned by her thick, long skirts. He smiled down at her, and she blinked up at him, her face red.

"That just don't do, Lady Agnès." His voice was low and carefully measured, controlled. In contrast, his hands were shaking as he gently pulled Agnès into a seating position, then pulled her against him so that he could help her undress. She was very warm and soft, possessing a different body type than Edea, but no less wonderful. She made a soft noise into his ear before she pressed her face against his neck, as though she could hide. Ringabel had a deep appreciation for the female form, and Agnès was certainly no exception; he kissed the her on the top of her head to reassure her. His cock, hard and restricted by his pants, throbbed with need against her belly. He tried to ignore it. Tried.

"Does this hurt?" Agnès asked him, and he didn't know what she meant until she touched that bulge, sending fireworks through his groin. He groaned at the sharp sensation, forced to pause midway through untying the ribbon that helped to keep the different parts of the dress together. He swallowed before answering her.

"Not if you… do that," he admitted. The tightness was uncomfortable, but her touch gave him some relief. He arched up helpfully into her next touch, breathing out his approval as he finally loosened the dress enough to pull it up and over her head, leaving her in just the leggings and her underthings. And the headpiece as well, of course. That was the cutest part. He cupped both her breasts in his hands through the white shift she wore, his thumbs rubbing against stiffened nipples through the thin fabric. "You are a sight to behold." Before he could stop himself, he had leaned forward to press his tongue against one of the bumps, wetting the fabric and making her nipple visible. His mouth closed around it and he suckled through the fabric until it was practically transparent.

She mewled, either because she was embarrassed, or because his touch was acceptable, but leaned down and brushed her lips against his cheek all the same. Despite his earlier protests, he turned and fully kissed her, brushing his lips chastely and gently against hers, their mouths remaining shut. Eyes closing, he lost himself in the kiss for a moment, reminded of a woman he'd failed to protect, so so long ago. Praying his grief and regret did not show as they parted, he kissed her forehead next. "Tiz wants you," he told her, and with a gentle squeeze to her waist, he settled the Vestal down on her lap to wait for their partners to finish, his hands continuing to gently explore her ample curves. In return, she touched his face, his neck, all the sensual areas he hadn't known existed until now. Truthfully, a part of him ached desperately for her, but he couldn't, he just couldn't.

Edea and Tiz had had to part to breathe, and her head was beginning to feel dizzy with lust and heat. His cock was wet with the precum building up at the head due to her efforts, and she knew she had to let him go - this wasn't for her.

"Go to Agnès," She told him, and slid off his lap. She sat back on her heels, noting how much she  _ached_  between her legs, and slipped a hand into her panties to press against the pulsing there. Tiz had obeyed, moving around her and to his partner. so Edea took a moment to breathe, tilting her head back as she kneaded sensitive flesh, and had just turned to find her partner when she was caught off guard by him finding her first. Ringabel turned her around with desperate hands, pulled her close, and crushed his lips to hers, his body shaking with repressed desire.

 _Jealous_? She thought with a slight smile against his mouth, wrapping her arms around him and letting him explore her mouth at his leisure. As she shifted against him, her tongue wrestling with his in a kiss so she sloppy she downright felt  _embarrassed_ , she could feel that yes, he was enjoying this as well. She ground herself down against the large, hard bulge she could feel in his pants, swallowing into herself the harsh noise he made in response. She was vaguely aware of Agnès's moaning behind her, clothes rustling as one or both of the brunettes stripped down.

Agnès was now not wearing much to begin with, only the shift she wore under her costume, and the leggings that came with it. Still, she felt like she was wearing entirely too much, and could only murmur softly as now Tiz's hands explored her body, leaving trails of fire across at the contact. She wanted to feel his skin, not just his touch, and squirmed, rolling over onto her back so that she could take off those blasted leggings.

Tiz seemed to understand and helped her, tugging at the stretchy fabric until her legs were bare and he slid his hands down her inner thighs, grasping the hem of her panties and tugging them off as well. Agnès lifted her hips, unable to help herself, trying to encourage him, and she moaned with Tiz as he pressed himself against her. She could feel his erection, already on full display, nudge against that junction between her legs for the slightest moment before he pulled away, supporting himself with one hand while on top of her, his free one tugging at the shift.

"Want you," he breathed. "Just you." No barriers between them. No clothes. His pants had been shoved down while the blondes had been touching him, and they were easily removed, kicked off. The vest and cape, not quite so much and he needed some help with those, but Agnès's hands were both gentle and urgent, exploring over the planes of his body the more exposed he became, and once he was as bare as she, she laid a kiss to his chest. He in turn, laid a kiss to hers, and moved her so that she was fully against him. He wanted to touch her, so badly. The watch of the Vampire stayed on his wrist, and she wrapped her hand around it as he cradled her breasts.

Across the bed, and so very close, Ringabel and Edea had to part to breathe, both of them panting. Edea's fingers shook as she unbuckled her partner's pants, trying to gain access to the hardness just out of her reach. Poor man must be hurting, she thought, judging by how tight it was, her fingers slipping over the damp fabric as it caught on him. She wanted him; she wanted him badly, already aching for him. As Edea had taken her clothes off earlier, she wore only her panties, a now wet piece of material easily discarded, and Ringabel was stroking her roughly through them, breathing in ragged gasps.

Once she'd freed his cock from the confines of his pants, her hand wrapped around him a little too harshly, stroking him greedily, hungrily, her thumb pressing against the swollen head. She'd only just begun to used to  _handling_  him in such an intimate way, and was still fascinated by the look and feel him, pulsing in her fingers as he was. The sight of his piece made her dizzy in the heat of the moment with its respectable length, the slight curvature to the shaft, the skin at the head pulling back the more she stroked and the harder it became. She liked looking at him. 

She didn't care if Tiz and Agnès were nearby, if they saw, or what they thought of such lasciviousness. She just knew that there was something hollow inside her that needed to be filled and Ringabel was just the man for the job. She could feel his nimble fingers shift aside the thin, damp material of her panties and finally enter her, twisting and thrusting as his thumb rubbed against her clit, but while that sensation was  _good_ , it was nowhere near what she wanted. It was a great start though, and she cried out her appreciation, but it just wasn't enough.

The air around the group had changed. The atmosphere before had been one of anger and guilt, but now… now it was something else that fed into Edea's arousal, warm and tingly around her. It was so thick with lust that she didn't know how she could breathe or even think. And judging by the noises behind her, just outside the range of her vision, she wasn't the only one feeling this way. Agnès let out a cry of pure pleasure.

Sex was still something so new to the Vestal. She had still much to learn. Though she was still very nervous and shy about it, about baring her body and soul to another person, it was Tiz she coupled with, and she had trusted him with her life, then her soul for so long. Entrusting him with her body seemed like a natural step, and she did not regret it. She had her duties, and he understood those came first, no matter their personal feelings. The faithful might be displeased that their Vestal had given herself to another human being instead of her Crystal, but she was merely human as well, after all. Love-making did not inhibit her ability to serve the Crystal, least of all these past few  _trying_  days, and she knew deep down, that her actions would be forgiven and understood.

And while sex was new to the shepherd as well, he was slowly learning what to do - what  _she_  liked best. Agnès leaned back against his broad chest as his hands played with her breasts, stroking and pinching and tugging at her nipples. Though his touch was usually gentle and considerate, he was so wound up that it was a little rough, though thankfully not overly so - she did not think she could bear it. The tiny sparks were just enough to send heat between her legs, where his erect length was pressing mercilessly against her wet sex. He wasn't inside her, not yet, but she wanted him to be. It wasn't enough to feel the head of his manhood rubbing against the sensitive nub that was her center, she wanted to feel him inside. All of him. She wanted to be one with him in a way she could never be one with anything else.

"Tiz," she whimpered, and he replied with a low groan, muffled slightly as his teeth pressed into the sensitive skin right at the nape of her neck. Gasping at the sensation, her hand slid past her stomach to cup the head of his cock to keep him positioned against her even as she pressed him slightly into her clit for the sheer pleasure of it. "Please, please. I beg of you…"

Begging was not something she needed to do, he could not bear to hear it. Kissing her ear as an apology, he carefully, gently bent her over so that he could keep touching her, one of his hands straying down to her hips and between her legs. He couldn't believe how wet she was, hot and slick with need.

"Are you - is this okay?" He asked, because he couldn't do this if she didn't want it. He knew vaguely of what sort of… positions there were, but had never stopped to think about it. He hadn't cared before. As response, Agnès lowered her head, taking in a shuddering breath as her legs spread even more for him, her hips lifting slightly, presenting herself to him. His eyes slipped shut, burning the sight into his memory, before he grasped her hips with both hands and entered her with ease. She cried out, and pressed back into him, a low noise building in her chest. It was so warm - she was so warm - and Tiz covered her for modesty's sake, pressing himself against her sweat-slicked back as he started to move at a feverish. unrestrained pace. From her hands and knees, Agnès could watch the other two.

Finally near her limit of patience, Edea opened her knees and tugged at Ringabel's disheveled shirt, beckoning him closer as her legs parted for him. The man could be smart at times, and he got the hint, and though it took some creative positioning at the edge of the bed while he practically ripped her panties off, he finally entered her in one deep stroke. Filled her.

The noise she made was a little embarrassingly loud, closer to a sob as she took him fully in that one movement. His fingers were digging into the skin of her thighs almost painfully as his hips rocked slowly, working up to a fast, a hard tempo, the man as desperate as she was for release. Pleasure and pain both were coiling up in that spot in her belly, an intense pinprick of feeling that built upon itself and threatened to drive her mad. She was certainly enjoying this, and Edea bit down on one of her knuckles to muffle her cries as he continued to move into her, motions rough, driving her knees up to her chest. This was amazing. She'd had no idea sex so shameless could even happen. It felt great - was  _this_  what all the fuss was about?

Their position was such that she was only half on her back, propped up on one elbow so that she could have some leverage to move up into him, her free hand snaked between them as she touched herself. It also gave her the ability to look back at Tiz and Agnès. She wanted to watch them, make sure they felt as good as she did. It wouldn't be very nice if they weren't included somehow. What she saw took her breath away.

The ribbons from the conjurer's headpiece were entangled with the Vestal's arms and her hair as she was bent over on her hands and knees, a pillow shoved right underneath her hips to help support her as Tiz took her from behind. Edea certainly did not have a lot of experience with this, but she'd never seen something like it before… she couldn't help but watch them, utterly fascinated by the way that Agnès's breasts swayed with the combined movements of Vestal and Shepard. Tiz's hands were busy exploring and appreciating his partner's body, while Agnès clung to the sheets. She was mewling in time with her partners strokes, appreciative noises that came from deep in her throat, loud - louder than Edea knew Agnès could even be. She was obviously enjoying the intimacy, which was the most important thing. Tiz was a little quieter, biting down on his lips so he didn't shout, breathing in ragged gasps as he touched Agnès, sliding his fingers against her breasts, between her legs, all over.

The room was filled not only with the smell and sounds of sex, but also with an atmosphere of intense love. It was thick and surrounded Edea, filling her with warmth from head to toe. She reached out to touch Agnès's hand with her own, the one that wasn't currently between her legs, and the Vestal grasped her fingers as though they were a life-line, lifting her head to offer Edea a distracted, but loving smile. And then she groaned lightly, her eyes slipping shut as she rocked back against her partner.

It was all too much to bear.

"Ah-yes,  _yes_." Edea shattered the relative silence as she began to cry out, vocalizing in words what her moans couldn't do, jerking her head to the side, eyes slipping shut as her mantra began. That pleasure in her core was blinding, and she was so, so close. The sensations from her partner in her, and her fingers outside had finally peaked and her climax was right  _there_ , all she needed was a little more. She wasn't so proud as to not beg for it. Ringabel eagerly gave that  _more_  to her at her command, shifting so that he could press himself against her, his quick, shallow thrusts slowing down into hard, deliberate ones when her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, her arms around his shoulders, and he murmured out her name in time with his strokes.

Soon, he hit something inside of her so distressingly good that she saw  _stars_ , her toes curling and pressing against his back. It was exactly what she needed; Edea came hard, whimpering out her partner's name, her hips shuddering and lifting up against his as she went over the edge, overcome with all the feelings and emotions that swirled within her. The feeling of Edea losing control around him was too much, and Ringabel's hips jerked, and then stilled as he came to his end as well, emptying into her, every muscle in his body except for his heart tensing, and then melting as he went boneless against her shaking form. She pulsed pleasantly, delightfully, and ran her fingers through his hair as they kissed dreamily, tiny little aftershocks running through her, centered in their joined bodies- she was unwilling to let him part so quickly. Her belly felt warm.

Ringabel sighed though, after a short moment, and shifted so that he could slip out, making a slight face of the mess between her legs. His legs were somewhat weak between his climax and the position he'd been in, and he picked Edea up easily in his hands to deposit her more fully on the bed, climbing over her to both keep her warm and make himself comfortable. She was so beautiful, he could still hardly believe she was his, that she loved and trusted him enough with her body and soul. That knowledge warmed him more than their coupling did; he truly loved her and would have been satisfied enough just to help her hit her peak. Nuzzling at Edea's mess of hair, he half-covered her with his body (taking a moment to pull off the rest of his clothing, already damp with sweat and fluids, still disgusting from earlier anyway) and the two of them watched their best friends, waiting for them to finish. He was deeply content and would need some time to rest before he could possibly keep going, but as Edea wiggled under him, he slipped his fingers back between her legs to play with her, his thin digits easily slipping back inside.

She was a little sensitive, but not painfully so, and it was easy for her to roll with his lazy motions as they both watched their friends. She loved them so much. All of them. She wanted them all to be happy, to feel good, to feel loved and she couldn't help but moan along with Agnès as she watched the Vestal continuously being taken from behind by her partner. She was so happy for them; having watched them dance nervously around each other and their affections for so long it was extremely satisfying they'd moved onto such physical affection.

Tiz was barely holding on, sustaining himself only by concentrating on Agnès instead of the heat in his stomach. On how nice and warm she was underneath and around him, the soft curves of her body against his palms and fingertips. The noises she made, the jerking of her hips, the way she tightened around him when he touched her a certain way... all of that was wonderful. It was satisfying enough for him to know he'd made her feel good and he pressed his face into the back of her shoulder, breathing sharply as his fingers tugged and pinched at tender nipples and clit, his hips stilling as he tried to hold on. He needed to focus, needed to focus on Agnès's need and not his own.

Agnès was crying out his name, her hips wiggling and her feet pushing against the bed as she tried to find some purchase. She was overwhelmed with the sensations, the sharp pinpricks of pleasure in her breasts and between her legs, Tiz's heartbeat against her back and inside of her, a pulsation that coiled into the center between her legs until she couldn't think anything, couldn't breathe, everything was focused inside and she lost herself for a moment, her consciousness drawing down into that same spot she reached when she had been Awakening the Crystals. Her whole body pulsed in the same rhythm as the Crystal she prayed to and she felt filled with light, the crystal's blessing filling her body before it too, spiraled down into the pit of her stomach along with all the pleasure and love from the man inside of her.

Crying out shamefully loud, her throat dry and tight, she shuddered and bucked under Tiz as she climaxed. He let himself go seconds later, slipping out and then pressing back, that final act of stimulation just enough to take him over. His orgasm gripped him as tightly as Agnès's muscles, and while he had before felt some shame over sullying her with his seed, he couldn't quite bring himself to care right now, not when they both felt so good. She was still shuddering under him, twinging slightly from all the sensations, and he murmured a quiet word of affection into her ear, pulling her hair back.

Now he could feel his strength quickly leaving him. He didn't know what it was, but he always felt exhausted right afterwards, as though he'd just run across all of Eisen. With a soft groan, he slipped out and dragged her down onto the bed with him so that they could just… relax. She was so very warm in his arms, and he loved her. He kissed her temple, just to make sure she knew.

For a few moments there nothing but the sounds of ragged breathing as the four lay there, basking in the warmth and the tenderness emanating from each other. It was so nice and peaceful, and Edea felt so content. Ringabel's hand was still curved against the juncture of her legs, but his fingers were still. Judging from the slow rise and fall of his chest against her back, he'd fallen asleep. Smiling a little, Edea reached over to touch Agnès's hand. The Vestal's hand twitched, then curled around her own, their fingers intertwining. Well, Edea, thought.  _That_  certainly just happened.

A nap was needed now, she decided. On Agnès's other side, Tiz was quiet and still, clutching his partner close as he settled in, completely spent. They needed it - they deserved to sleep after the horrifyingly long day they'd had. After one last glance toward her two friends, and pulling Ringabel's hand from her sex to her waist, she closed her eyes and drifted off.

Ringabel woke first.

He'd long since adjusted to getting less sleep than the others, and had slept very well several nights previously besides. He'd be fine. It was simply that sex exhausted him, and it was worth it. Edea was very warm and soft against his chest, and he tried not to wake her as he wrapped his arms gently around her waist, pulling her a little closer so that he could bury his face in her hair and breath in her musky scent. He still didn't know why she loved him in return, loved him enough to share this intimacy with him. But he was forever grateful. Being with her, sexually or not, calmed some of the demons inside of him. He owed her so much, more than he could ever repay.

Groaning slightly as he tried to stretch out a few kinks in his limbs, he noticed Tiz and Agnès had at some point finished, and were now resting as well. He grinned. Those two deserved one another and he was genuinely happy they'd finally admitted and consummated their love.

They all needed the reprieve from the grief and pain that had consumed them.  _Crystals_ , he thought, closing his eyes and listening to Edea breathe against him. He wasn't a Crystalist, but he had witnessed firsthand the power that they held, and Agnès entrusted her life to them.  _Just let them be happy._

Not about to wake his sleeping friends up, he slipped out of bed to retrieve his journal. He was not about to write about the intimate act that had just occurred between them, but did want to write about the love they'd shared. While they had met as complete strangers so long ago, it took a special connection to share  _each other_  the way they just had. They could never have the same dynamic again. He smiled as he poured his soul and embarrassingly poetic thoughts onto the pages of his journal, hoping Edea wouldn't smack him for a few of the more inappropriate phrases that slipped out here and there. After a while he left the room.

The rest of them woke slowly, drifting in and out of consciousness. Edea rolled over closer to Agnès, cuddling up like a puppy seeking warmth, whining a little at the loss of Ringabel against her. Where he could have gone, she didn't know.

"Good morning, Edea." Agnès whispered, amused.

"It's not morning yet," Edea groaned. The sky outside the window was still very dark. They'd only slept a while it seemed, but she felt refreshed and energetic. She wiggled cheerfully against Agnès, draping an arm around both Vestal and Shepherd, who was beginning to blink awake. Tiz was a somewhat neurotic sleeper, after all, even satiated as he was, and Edea could be loud and invasive.

"Morning?" Tiz sounded adorably confused, his voice thick with sleep. He cracked an eye open and peered around the room. Agnès was nestled close against him, and Edea close to her. Where was Ringabel?

"Night! It's night, Tiz." Edea propped up on an elbow to look at the shepherd. She giggled slightly, his usually unruly hair was sticking straight up. How attractive! "Wake up." He groaned and let his head drop back down, nuzzling into Agnès's hair. No.

"Let him sleep if he is tired," Agnès said, defending her partner.

Edea had too much energy, couldn't imagine how they were just content to lie there! Murmuring a little with discontent, she sat up more fully. She was warm, of course, thanks to the closeness of her best friends. But there was something missing - and as she looked around the room, she realized what that was.

"Where's Ringabel?" she asked the Vestal.

Agnès had shifted somewhat to her back so that she reach over and run her fingers through Tiz's messy hair as the boy nestled into her, his hands beginning to knead her leg. She glanced up at Edea at the question. "He left the room just a short time ago. I believe he will return." She had been awake a while, but had been content to stay in the arms of her friends. It was comfortable, and very nice.

That wasn't… fair. It didn't seem right that he had left without telling her, or even kissing her. Edea bit down a little on her bottom lip. Since when was Ringabel not the hopeless romantic type? Weren't those kinds of men supposed to stay until their partners awoke?

"I'm sure he will return soon," Anges said softly, catching the look on the younger woman's face, and her other hand wound carefully around Edea's bare shoulders. Agnès was sooo warm and soft, Edea decided as she snuggled into her best friend with a slight pout. It didn't seem fair either that Tiz got her all to himself. Sure, the two of them were cute and all, but Tiz needed to learn to share, in Edea's opinion.

Perhaps it was odd to have such thoughts about her best friends. To be so close, to share such intimate moments. But after all, they hadn't started out like this. It was a closeness that had built up over months, many months, of blood and sweat and tears both hidden and shared. Of learning weaknesses and strengths. Of screaming and fighting and doubts and trust. Certainly quite a bit of trust. She trusted them with her life, and knew they felt the same. But more than her life, she trusted them with her soul.

They'd had all been physically comfortable (even affectionate) with one another for some time, territory that came with having to share tents, beds, and sometimes baths on their stupid long journey when necessary. The group had naturally grown used to it over time, when they'd had to dress each other's wounds if magic ran low or potions were ineffective, when accidents happened upon their airship-turned-ship and they'd be soaked through with dirty sea water, when camping in the mountains of Eternia as the chilly afternoon turned into a deadly night and they had had to huddle together for warmth, when nightmares turned peaceful nights into terror and the only remedy was companionship.

But this was far beyond physical comfort and affection. It was…

Edea tugged one of Agnès's nipples into her mouth with a smile. It was love, she knew. Love came in all sorts of forms, and they had learned so many over the years. Love between friends, and family, and lovers. All of that love was all present as her tongue played.

"E-edea!" The Vestal sounded shocked, but made no move to stop her, instead cradling the back of the other girl's head. Tiz lifted his head to watch as Edea began to suckle hungrily at her breast, flicking her tongue roughly against the quickly hardening nub. It felt… good, Agnès noted with a quiet noise, her breath coming in short gasps, fingers massaging gently into the nape of Edea's neck. With a slight pop, Edea pulled away and grinned up at her, deliberately running her teeth against the sensitive skin before latching on again.

Agnès tried to press her thighs together to abate the heat building up there, but Edea's hand beat her there, curving gently against the woman's heated sex. The sensation was like a scratch on a terrible itch, and Agnès squirmed. When her legs parted of their own accord against the pulsation, Tiz's fingers joined Edea's, tickling her inner thigh.

"Tiz…." Agnès groaned, and her partner shifted out from behind her so that she was on her back, hair splayed out across the bed. A beautiful sight, he thought privately, as her cheeks grew pink with arousal. Edea had claimed Agnès's right breast, and it was with a low moan that Tiz claimed the left, curling his tongue around her and sucking. It reminded him of lambs nursing from their mothers. He closed his eyes and settled against her, pressing a growing erection against her thigh.

Agnès cradled Tiz's head to her breast as well, his unruly bangs tickling her breasts, a different sensation than the one his lips and tongue and teeth were creating as he sucked and kissed and rolled his tongue against her nipple. His mouth was a little more gentle than Edea's, who truly had a voracious appetite, and Agnès's hips began to rock up against their fingers as they played with her there too, stroking her tender center, pressing into her wet entrance. She whined and moaned under her breath and the three settled into a sort of tantalizing rhythm as Tiz's fingers entered her while Edea's focused on that pulsing nub, both of them rubbing and caressing with fingers and tongue, and she clung to them, held their heads close to her, begged them not to stop.

The door opened quietly; they did not notice the sound, nor light, nor the man who watched with amusement at the writhing bodies on the bed.

It was quite pleasant, Agnès thought, so very warm and pleasant. A pulsing in her center that built and spiraled into something that felt impossibly good, the heat spreading from between her legs to her stomach, and further on until she felt engulfed by the flames and the sensations from her two partners. She was beginning to mewl, her toes curling as she rocked and shuddered as they slowly pushed her to her peak, and had opened her legs to accept more of them, noting vaguely how hard Tiz was against her hip, and how Edea was grinding her own thighs together, wishing she could touch them too, when a third hand joined the two already driving her mad with lust.

She opened her eyes to see Ringabel kneeling over Edea, finally joining them. She moaned, surprised, and he winked at her before two of his fingers slipped inside of her to join Tiz's, stretching - filling her. He was too far away for her to touch him with her hands... but she pressed a foot against his face, touching him with her toes instead, and he turned to his head to kiss her sole. She swallowed, and when her foot trailed down his face, he licked and suckled at her big toe, his mouth closing around it.

Her head fell back, eyes slipping shut again as a smile spread across her lips. This was acceptable - this was how it needed to be, and all thoughts fled her mind as pleasure bubbled white-hot between her legs and in her head, all  _three_  of her partners bringing her to blessed release. Deviousness or not, she was where she needed to be.

Ringabel hadn't been able to just sit back and watch, after all. He hadn't undressed from his brief foray out to the pub, and his pants were already getting tight at the sight of the Vestal squirming under the onslaught of the pleasure the other two were provided. It… didn't help that Edea's free hand was between her own legs, her thighs pressed together to try and help with some of the sensations she had to be feeling, judging from how wet she looked. With a longing sigh, he placed his hand on her shapely rear and squeezed, to let her know that he was there, before he slid his fingers down to her sex, seeking her permission. Her legs parted immediately, her hips lifting as she displayed herself for him, and his fingers pressed in easily. Edea moaned around a mouthful of Agnès's breast.

It wasn't very much longer before the sensations grew too much for the Vestal and she lifted herself off the bed with a cry as she came, body shuddering and twitching underneath the other three. She knew of nothing at all, but felt so hot and loved and completely wanted, and before the wonderful sensations from her breasts and sex and foot could stop, Agnès came  _again_ , her scream reverberating through the dark room.

Her hips still jerking as aftershocks coursed through her, she struggled to breathe and regain her sense of self as the three pulled away from her, watching her with no small amount of amazement as she twitched. Tiz kept his fingers in her - her muscles were much too tight around them for him to be certain he could pull them without hurting her - and she rolled down against his hand, continuing to fuck herself on his fingers, her smile dazed and unfocused. Now that Tiz and Edea had pulled away from her breasts, she cradled them herself, panting. They were wet with saliva and her nipples were very swollen from the attention, and very sensitive. That did not stop her from tugging at them at them, her rigid control lost.

"You're so pretty, Agnès." Edea breathed, feeling a little envious and though she knew Agnès was probably a little overstimulated, she ran her fingers across the other woman's trembling stomach. Agnès's response was an appreciative, exhausted moan as the pleasure ebbed, little by little. Tiz finally withdrew his fingers as her muscles relaxed, and both girls watched him stick his fingers in his mouth to taste. Agnès touched him with a wet foot and he reached for her.

Edea ached. Ringabel's fingers had slipped out of her when they'd all drawn back and now she turned on him. Tiz and Agnès needed some time anyway.

"Where have you been?!" She demanded. "You weren't there when…"

"Forgive me," Ringabel replied, his words muffled as he slid his shirt over his head. It seemed he'd only thrown on the bare minimum to be decent, and hadn't even bothered with underwear, Edea found, when his half-hard erection popped out of his pants once he'd slid them off his hips. An interesting sight. "I was actually fetching food for us."

Food?! Who needed food when her appetite tonight was for her friends, not meat! Well. Not real meat. The thought was in her head for only a moment before her stomach growled loudly, and she covered it with a hand, embarrassed. He grinned at her, his pale hair styled and messy, clipped back with one of her extra hairpins away from his face.

"We'll eat in a moment," she decided, because she throbbed between her legs and Ringabel looked good and ready for another round. "Sex first, then food." She had to work up an even better appetite, after all.

"Are you sure?" Ringabel groaned even as she moved into his lap, pressing herself against him and wiggling down against his erection. "Food will get cold." His protests were weak however, as he kissed her, and helped her settle on her knees above his lap, her hand down between them so that she could cradle and rub his cock against her open, inviting sex. It twitched with desire in her hand.

"No," she admitted, because either she worked up a great appetite or she ate so she'd have the energy to continue. Both options sounded appealing, but she didn't think it was possible for her to eat while having sex, at least not right now (but she filed it away for something to try later?).

He chuckled, his lips brushing against hers. "I'll be quick." He promised, and Edea took that as a sign to lower herself onto his length, hilting him. They both groaned at the sensation, and Ringabel's arms wrapped tightly around her as they rocked together, movements both desperate as much as they were gentle. She rested her head against his shoulder as pleasure spiraled between her legs and up into her belly. Love, love, love. She loved all three of him, and him most of all.

Ringabel buried his face into Edea's hair, breathing in deeply. She smelled so much like sweat and sex that it nearly masked her natural (and artificially perfumed) scent, and it made him dizzy with arousal and need. He wasn't very hard, truthfully, but it wouldn't take much for him to get there. Not when she fit so perfectly around him and in his arms. He kissed her neck and shuddered, eyes cracking open to observe the others.

Agnès still seemed a little overstimulated, but Tiz was cradling her and she him, their hands exploring over the planes of each other's bodies. Tiz was a rougher sort, more naturally tan, with scars here and there from an active childhood, and her fingers lingered over some of the bigger ones. Tiz was usually very quiet about his own affection, still unable to spit certain things out, but his love was present in the way he carefully handled the Vestal, kissing and nuzzling her.

And, Ringabel noticed, in the way he was trying not to let Agnès feel or see how much he wanted her, part of the blanket pulled up to put the barrier of cloth between her body and his hard-on.

"Edea," Ringabel murmured into the ear of the woman on his lap. She opened her eye and moaned, questioning. "Tiz needs some help, it seems." He grinned, and as she figured out what he meant, she grinned as well. They were awful sometimes.

"Turn me around," she told him and he obeyed, though somewhat reluctant to part with her warmth. They re-positioned so Edea could face the two brunettes, and she leaned back into Ringabel's chest, her legs opened wide, giving quite the view of his cock entering her again, guided by a hand. "Tiz~" She called, and her other arm opened wide, beckoning. "Come here, you good boy you."

Ringabe's grin grew wider. She was merciless.

"E-edea?" Tiz voice cracked as he took in the sight of the naked woman. She was… beautiful. Though he was in love with Agnès, he would be a fool not to acknowledge that Edea was physically attractive. Her breasts were small and perky, bouncing slightly with the movement of Ringabel driving up into her, sweat rolling down the curves of her body, and… Tiz had to swallow as his eyes landed on her sex, inviting and open to the world and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight of Ringabel's penis pushing in and slipping out, over and over. He wasn't aware of the moan that escaped from the back of his throat as he stared, transfixed. Edea was his dear friend, but they had earlier shattered all barriers between them and though she wasn't normally his type, he felt so attracted to this that it was mortifying.

"Come here," she managed again, through a groan. Keep it together, Edea! Seduce him! (Even if Tiz was normally about as sexy as a fluffy ball of cotton, in this moment he was  _her_  ball of cotton).

It was Agnès who nudged Tiz toward the blondes, and when he looked at her with wide eyes, she smiled at him. "I need to rest. Please enjoy yourself." she assured him. She felt a little too sore and sensitive, and could not bear the thought of being stimulated again, but wanted Tiz to find release. She wanted him to feel good, even if it was not with her. At least she could watch! And she made herself comfortable on a pile of blankets and pillows as her beloved partner finally turned into the opened and waiting arms of the Eternians.

Edea snuggled Tiz close as he curled against her, and Ringabel's arms were around them both, holding them tightly together. For a moment, she wondered what it might feel like to have both of the boys inside of her, at the same time, but quickly dismissed the lewd thought - she wasn't quite ready for that, and she didn't think they would be either. Still, it might be fun at some point. She giggled a little out of nerves, and Tiz's mouth covered her own, the shepherd making a low noise against her lips. The two kissed, slow and sensual, and Ringabel's mouth was wandering along her shoulder, lips searching and pecking, all three of them breathing heavily with desire. Tiz squirmed against her chest as his hands lifted to cradle her breasts, the head of his erection brushing against Ringabel's cock and Edea's sensitive sex. She jumped, and the thought of taking them both danced through her head again. Ringabel could feel her tightening around him, and he knew, just knew what she was thinking. His breath was shuddering as his hand slid down to stroke both her and Tiz in the same movement, questioningly, his hips stilling. He traced a circle, then a question mark, over her clit, a perverse sort of signal.

She parted from Tiz with a small sigh, tapping her forehead briefly against his. It would be  _his_  decision. "Do you want… inside of me?" She asked him, her cheeks burning, her hands wandering his chest, touching his nipples as he touched hers. Despite everything they've done, and will probably do the rest of the night, she was a little embarrassed by the question. This truly seemed a little debauched!

He flushed as well, his cheeks and the tips of his ears turning an attractive red. Poor boy was still so unused to intimacy, it was much easier to act without thinking. He swallowed, trying to think beyond the pleasant tingling throughout his entire body, and his eyes flickered to the side. He couldn't see Agnès with his back to her, and didn't think it would be polite to turn and ask her opinion, her permission. Edea was very warm and soft against him, he could only imagine how it would feel inside of her… but he shook his head all the same, his hair matted to his face with sweat. It wouldn't be right, for him to take Ringabel's partner and love in that way. And he didn't want to be unfaithful to Agnès - even if this was love-making that the four of them were enjoying  _together_ , it seemed like a different thing entirely to actually enter another woman. He was content with touching and kissing, with Agnès's blessing, and wanted to keep part of his body sacred for her - he knew she'd do the same.

To his relief, Edea didn't seem annoyed at his decision, but gave him a sweet smile. "You're a good boy Tiz," she praised him, and kissed him again. Ringabel's hips started to rock up into her again, as though he'd been waiting for Tiz to make the call on who would continue inside Edea. "But," the woman continued in a low tone, her lips trailing from his to his jaw and then to his still hot ears. "I'm going to suck your dick." Her cheeks suddenly felt even hotter against his own.

"Wha-" Was that even possible? Of course it was possible, Tiz berated himself, slightly dazed as Edea had him lean back away from her. He stumbled back, into Agnès's open and waiting arms. Glancing up at the Vestal, she gave him a smile, accepting and proud of his choice. "Agnès…" he said quietly, and she shushed him with a finger. He was settled gently against his chest, his head between both of her breasts. Her nipples were hard from arousal and exposure, and he eyed one, so very close, reaching up with his hand to touch it. How risque they were all being!

"Let her do this," Agnès giggled, her cheeks blooming red as she covered his hand with her own. "I'll be here for you." He was left speechless and had to swallow hard before he looked at Edea down the length of his own body. The blonde was actually between his open legs now! He leaned his heated face into the curve of one of Agnes's breasts, trying to cool himself down.

"You could help if you wanted, Agnès." Edea grumbled. Ringabel had once again pulled out of her so that she could get comfortable, and now she was on her hands and knees, tucking some of her hair behind her burning ears as she eyed Tiz's erect cock mere inches away. It was, of course, much different than Ringabel's, a little thicker at the base but not as long, and was a bold red. She wrapped her hand around it, felt it pulse in her fingers and leaned down to lick the head as though it were a tasty treat, tongue pushing his foreskin aside to get at the glans. It was certainly salty, she noted. Sweat, and something else.

Both men groaned at the sight, and Tiz could barely keep himself from bucking up into her. Agnès's other hand was pressing against his lower belly, fingertips brushing the very base of his erection, and she kept him mostly still.

"It reminds me of a sausage…" Edea mused to herself, fingers running down the length of the shaft as she examined him. Not as uniformly thick of course and not for eating, but it had the look. She giggled. "Farmer's sausage." Her giggle was cut off with a small noise when Ringabel slid back into her, and she could feel a slight weight as he bent over her, nuzzling the dampness at the nape of her neck

"Is food all you ever think about?" Tiz grumbled, his hands covering his warm cheeks. She didn't have to stare at him like that.

Edea's laugh was slightly breathless, distracted by Ringabel rocking into her from behind. "Maybe iif I was pleased more!" He was about to ask her what she meant, when she leaned back down, drawing her tongue slowly, deliberately against the head of his member and he shut up.

It was certainly a thing, to see the Eternian bent over like that. She was actually licking… him. He hadn't known people could do that. It looked so indecent, but felt so good, heat rose up in stomach, and he leaned back against Agnès. She nibbled his ear in response, her own breathing a little rough. Was she watching too? Watching her partner be played with by Edea?

She was. Though she still needed to rest, she could hold her partner and watch as Edea took his straining erection back into her mouth, his lips closing around the head. Her fingers curled slightly into the hair at his base, warmth spreading throughout her even if she still didn't want to be touched. It was enough to watch, watch as Tiz was swallowed by Edea, the blonde's head moving down his length until she couldn't take anymore, pulling back up and repeating the motion again and again, leaving his shaft wet in the wake of her lips. It seemed to Agnès that Edea was swallowing more with each movement, and her finger poked up to touch the tip of Edea's nose once she got close enough. Tiz was unable to control the subtle rocking of his hips up until the girl's mouth, one of his hands jammed into his mouth to stifle his moans.

Agnès licked her lips. How could Edea think of such things? Her creativity was amazing.

Ringabel certainly seemed to think so, driving himself into the woman underneath him a rougher and faster pace than before. He was close, and though his fingers had moved between her legs to stroke her wet sex, to caress that erect little bud in her center, Edea was so distracted by sucking Tiz that she didn't seem to have noticed much of anything else. He was a little jealous of the shepherd, getting Edea's mouth around him like that. The thought made his stomach tighten and he tried to banish the mental images of the blonde woman going down on him instead. He'd tasted her before, and had enjoyed it - the reverse had not occurred to him until this moment, and he wished he had thought of it before. To have her wrap her lips around him, wet heat of a different sort than the kind he now pumped into, swallowing him, taking him, her head bobbing along his shaft...

Too quickly for his liking, he found himself climaxing, pressing his hips into Edea and stilling as his cock convulsed inside of her, spilling out his seed. For a moment, his body tensed and his muscles seized, and he choked on his moan as he was overcome. Her mouth full of Tiz's cock, Edea moaned in turn at the rapidly-growing-familiar sensation of Ringabel emptying into her and she spread her legs a little more in anticipation. Ringabel wouldn't stand to not let her come. It was a Thing with him. Please his angel, please himself. Honestly, it could get exhausting, but she hadn't yet complained.

As she suspected, as soon as he pulled out of her, Ringabel moved down to bury his face between her legs from behind, ignoring the taste of his own fluids as he licked and nibbled at her hypersensitive sex, his tongue lapping at her. She was very wet, and though he knew  _why_ , he enjoyed it anyway, especially when she began to rock back onto his tongue. He kept her still as best he could, his hands kneading into her rear as he cleaned her.

Edea felt like she was trapped, trapped between a hard place and an even harder one. She whined in the back of her throat at the sensations assaulting her, but wasn't about to let Tiz go unfulfilled. She resumed her actions on him a hundred fold, lips closing around the head of his cock and sucking hard. Her tongue rubbed against him, trying to coax him to his release. The shepherd's hips jerked up into her mouth, surprised by the sudden ferocity of her motions, and his moans reached her ears, spurred her on. She knew enough not to use her teeth, but the very edge of them scraped across his straining length as she swallowed him, thinking of his dick like an extra thick Eternian lollipop and relaxing the back of her throat until her nose pressed into the hairs at the base and Agnès's twitching fingers. She moaned around him and pulled back, only to repeat the motion. Someone's hands were now in her hair - Agnès or Tiz, she couldn't be certain - and they were guiding her as her head bobbed on the man's shaft. He was pulsing and she could taste the drops of saltiness dripping out of him. From her (very little) experience, she knew that it meant he would come soon and-

He did not disappoint. Tiz was loud when he came, curling in on himself, his fingers fisting in Edea's messy hair and holding her against him as he came. She choked awkwardly a little, not expecting the rush of his come flooding her mouth but tried to breathe through her nose, tears pricking the corners of her eyes at the unexpected, but not entirely unwanted sensation. It was like she'd bitten into an broiled tomato, nice and juicy, cooked until the gooey contents came squirting out. It sent arousal sparking down to where Ringabel was licking at her clit. When Tiz fell back against Agnès with a low moan, his limbs weak and boneless as the Vestal ran her hands up his stomach and chest, Edea took the opportunity to spit most of his release into the blanket, and thickly swallowed the rest.

It didn't exactly sate her hunger.

With a low sigh, she leaned her cheek against Tiz's toned inner thigh and closed her eyes. Ringabel's mouth was still very busy against her sex, and her own release was agonizingly close. With Tiz's hand now running through her hair, his skin stifling her noises of desire and want, she focused on those pleasantly sharp feelings emanating from her sex as her partner's tongue lovingly massaged and licked her most private areas. Normally, she might be a little embarrassed at the exposure, but considering everything else that had transpired in the past 24 hours, she was beyond caring about anything but hitting her peak again. Soon enough, Ringabel's tongue, with a little help from the tips of his fingers, brought her to climax and she whined, loud and long, not caring when her own fluids soaked the bed underneath (though she did grimace with slight distaste when her hips dropped down onto it when her legs lost strength).

There was peace in the room as they breathed, all of them coming down from their highs. Ringabel leaned back on his heels, taking in the sight in front of him, and wiping his face clean. Edea splayed out on her stomach with her legs wide, sex dripping with fluids, her head resting against Tiz's inner thigh, the man's legs opened as he leaned back into Agnès's arms, his head cushioned between two perky breasts with perky nipples that his fingers were tugging at, all of them covered in a thin sheen of sweat. They were all so beautiful in their own way, and he move to drop down on his side beside the Vestal, still leaning back against the pile of blankets with her satisfied shepherd in her arms, rewarding them both with a slow, deep kiss, letting them taste Edea and himself as he had. Edea buried her face into Tiz's sweat-covered stomach now, her tongue flicking out to lick at his navel.

"I brought food," Ringabel explained his absence to the brunettes, smiling and tugging on a strand of Edea's wild hair. Tiz perked up.

"Is that why you were gone?" The shepherd's stomach grumbled and they laughed (Edea groaned). Tiz was a healthy young man, after all. He enjoyed food, even if not to the extent of Edea's infamous appetite. They all did, and considering how active they had been the past few hours, it was sorely needed.

"Yes. The Proprietress gave me enough for tonight and tomorrow as well." Though his smile was somewhat strained as he thought about 'tomorrow', it was at least sincere enough to get the others moving. Maybe later he would tell them about the awkward conversation that had transpired when he'd shown up half-dressed and with mused hair. Gently tugging Edea off of Tiz so that the other man could get up, Ringabel led her to the table set up near the door of the room. There four chairs, enough for them all, and the two brunettes joined them shortly. None of them had bothered to dress (though Edea, Agnès, and Ringabel took a moment to fix their hair) as they sank down into their chairs, the girls mindful of the mess between their legs as they cleaned quickly with extra napkins, and Tiz quickly passed out their portioned food before Edea claimed it all for herself, as hungry as she claimed she was.

It all seemed so normal, like there was nothing weird about sharing a meal after sharing _each other,_  Edea thought, as she dug into her meal with gusto. Like Ringabel had warned her, it was a little cold, but she was so hungry after  _that_  intense work-out that it was delicious all the same. It had been  _so_  worth it. She still felt warm and tingly, all the way to her tips of her toes. Speaking off… she reached out to stroke the inside of Ringabel's bare leg with her toes, smiling against her fork at the way he stiffened up at the touch, shooting her a wide-eyed glance across the table as her toes moved up and up and -

Agnès kicked her. "No playing around at the supper table," The Vestal commanded imperiously, her back straight, hair pulled away into a clip. Edea snorted. She hadn't been able to hide the little marks that someone's lips had left against her skin, and it ruined the otherwise composed look.

"So we can play around in bed once we're finished then?" Edea asked, and grinned gleefully when the Vestal flushed into her own food. Ringabel choked on his soup and coughed, Tiz patted his back carefully, having been fortunate enough not to be eating when Edea spoke.

"If you wish, yes. That would be acceptable." Agnès was so red, her face nearly matched the tomatoes in the dish she was eating. Edea cooed and nudged her.

"We're going to make a sinner out of you, Agnès." She claimed, and when Agnès said nothing, leaned her head against the other woman. "You're not  _sinning_ ," she tried to clarify, recognizing that her joke wasn't much of one. She'd let her mouth run away with her again, it seemed. "It's not a sin to love. We love you, and you love us. Tiz maybe more than Ringabel or myself, but still. Sex should be between people you love. That's all. That's why we did this."

Agnès relaxed slightly, her arm winding around Edea's waist. "I know that…. we love one another." Though they had never actually said as much out loud outside of their pairs, it seemed obvious after last night. "I worry what my actions may be interpreted as by the people who look to me for guidance. I am the Crystal Vestal, after all. Wed to the Wind Crystal." She closed her eyes, sighing softly. "I have never envisioned no other life for myself." And though a part of her still wished to return to it, and knew that she  _would_ , without question, it was so difficult - and a little painful - to imagine her life without these people at her side after everything they had been through.

Noticing how the shepherd quieted at her words, Ringabel spoke before Edea could continue to put her foot in her mouth. "I would say none of our lives have gone down the path we expected when we started this journey." He examined his food for a moment, pale brows furrowing. "That is not a bad thing. We've learned much, and there is no shame in changing one's mind after learning the truth. Besides. If a man can have multiple wives, can a woman not have multiple husbands? If the Crystal counts a husband, that is. You could marry all of us if you wanted to, I say."

"Ringabel!" Edea said, her eyebrow raising. "Don't propose to Agnès." Her eyes, unseen by Agnès, flickered toward Tiz at his side,

He… hadn't been meaning to, but it seemed that sometimes Alternis and his unfortunate tendency toward social awkwardness peeked through the suave and sophisticated demeanor he'd tried to build up as Ringabel. The two were melding together more with each passing day. He flushed, realizing too late what his words could be construed as. "Forgive me, Lady Vestal. I… I did not mean…"

Agnès giggled. "I understand. I know what you meant. It is simply that we Vestals are to devote our lives to the Crystal, not to other people. Even our followers should come second to our prayers." Her eyes closed and she breathed deeply for a moment, setting down her fork and placing her hands in her lap as she thought. "I love you all so dearly." Words she still had difficulty speaking after so long after being alone, in her mind or otherwise.

Edea wrapped both arms around the other woman, holding her tightly and swaying. "We love you too, Agnès!" In different ways, and with different intensities. She gave Tiz a pointed look as to if to tell him 'this is your chance!'

Tiz swallowed. "I love you, Agnès. Whatever you decide, I'll be here for you."

Her eyes opening, Agnès smiled at him across the table. "I love you too." Her cheeks were a rosy pink but her eyes were filled with light. Even if Edea was still leaning into her, rubbing her face into her bare shoulder. She glanced over at the blonde. "Edea…"

"I love you guys!" Edea cried, and hugged Agnès until the Vestal squeaked. Overcome with emotion, she stood up to hug Tiz as well, pulling him against her uncovered breasts, enjoying the started little cry he made at the contact of their bare skin. She even hugged Ringabel, and graciously ignored the way his hand touched her rear as he returned the hug.

"We love you as well," Ringabel told her as she tried to pull away, stopped by his strong arms. He kissed the tip of her nose. "But please eat. Eat your fill so that we can get back in bed." His last word was punctured with a half-lidded gaze, desire visible in his pale eyes. She stood for a moment, staring into those eyes, before he let her go. She breathed, feeling an  _itch._

"Wow, Ringabel." Tiz observed, as Edea stomped back to her chair and proceeded to stuff her face again without another word, moving onto her dessert so that she could finish quickly. "I think that's the first time you've shut  _her_  up."

The blond man winked. "It's all in the technique, dear Tiz."

He couldn't dodge the spoon she flipped over at him, covered in whipped cream and caramel sauce. Glowering a little at her across the table, he wiped the whipped cream from his cheek and licked it off his fingers, slowly and delicately. If the others squirmed, he pretended not to notice.

After they'd finished eating, with Ringabel relinquishing part of his steak to Edea's questing fork, Tiz (ever a dutiful househusband) cleaned up the table while Ringabel packed the remains away for tomorrow, whenever it would come. He was kneeling there quietly over the pack they'd bring with them tomorrow when Edea came up behind him, her arms wrapping around from behind. He was of the opinion that it wasn't "tomorrow" until he slept, but the day looked daunting even from yesterday's late hours. It had been hard enough going through the Dark Aurora the first time. Hopefully the second would be easier, and then that confrontation, and the unknown of what came next- Her touch startled him out of his dark thoughts.

"Is... are you okay?" She asked, her cheek against his shoulder. He touched her smaller hand with his own.

"Do not worry yourself with me" He told her, an unseen smile on his face. Her concern was appreciated, and his heart swelled. His angel. While he had come to accept while travelling with her that she was far from the perfect visage he had once obsessed upon, a touch too impulsive and violent, unable to control herself or mouth, he still loved her all the same. She was a good person at heart, under her loudness and her bullheadedness, who tried to do the right things. They'd been all mislead. He nuzzled her cheek with a soft sigh. "Finally satisfied?"

Edea nodded, her head falling onto his shoulder, and he finally, carefully turned to open his arms to her; she curled up against him. He knelt there with her for a few moments, stroking her back, feeling her breathe against him. Having her so alive in his arms had been part of his wildest fantasies for how long? Now that he held he, he felt he could die a happy man. She'd probably beat him for the thought. With a sigh and kiss, he picked up her small frame in his arms as he stood.  


"What! Ringabel!" She had not been expecting that, and given that the man was still nude, had nothing to cling to as he held her high against his chest. It was startling, but he held her close against his chest and she felt… safe.

He laughed and said nothing as he strode across the room in just few steps and deposited her on the bed where Agnès and Tiz were getting comfortable again. They had abandoned the big bed in favor of letting it dry - there were unseemly wet spots spattered on it, which would have been made sleeping a little awkward. With Tiz's bed having been broken (mysteriously!) several days prior, that left just two. It was a tight fit, with Agnès having to roll over on top of Tiz to get out of the way as Edea was dropped unceremoniously on the empty side. Ringabel covered her, kissing lightly across her face, smiling as she giggled and squirmed under him, her hands playing at his sides to unsuccessfully tickle him.

"You're insatiable," Tiz laughed at the older man, his hands resting on Agnès's hips as the Vestal curled over him, her hair a curtain.

"I am not," Ringabel argued, lifting his head, a pout on his features. "This has nothing to do with anything, I assure you. My intentions are pure!" The brunettes looked unconvinced, even when Ringabel leaned up to kiss a giggling Agnès chastely on the mouth, which she returned. He continued, then. "If anything, Edea is the insatiable one." He was proud of his ability to keep his shout from vocalizing when she pinched his rear, his reaction reduced to merely a flinch. Not so proud of a certain other part of his body for reacting to the pain as though it were pleasure. Surely he wasn't that twisted.

"Get off me," She told him, rolling her eyes. "You're heavy, you know." But the bite in her words was softened when she stroked him gently over the area she'd pinched him... before spanking him. The smirk she gave him could have rivaled one of his own. He quickly obeyed her (because she was right and because he'd  _really_  reacted to that spank), and when her hands shoved him down onto the bed in her place, it was just a tiny grumble that he did so, planting a kiss on Tiz's mouth as he settled beside him, stretching out his long limbs as Edea settled on top of him, straddling his hips and purposefully trapping his swelling erection under her damp sex. He breathed out, eyes slipping shut at both the feeling and the sight of her on top of him. He rolled his hips a little teasingly against her, biting his lip. Perhaps he was that twisted.

The blonde woman smiled over at the Vestal, despite the movements of her partner against her. "Our boys are hopeless, aren't they?" Any protest Ringabel would have made was cut off by her finger against his lips, and she pressed her knees into his side when he licked the pad of her finger. She was  _trying_  to ignore him!

Agnès returned her smile. "They are very hopeless, yes." But she smiled all the same down at Tiz, her hands kneading gently into his chest. "And yet, that is why we love them, is it not?" The smile that the shepherd gave her was maudlin, even for Edea.

Agnès and Tiz were the hopeless ones, she decided and she nudged Agnès with a gentle elbow. "Go on," she needled. "Go make love to him." Agnès wouldn't need very much encouragement, and so Edea finally turned her attention to the man she was currently sitting on, who was continuing to squirm underneath her. Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless… Edea sighed softly at the silly look on his face as his eyes roamed over her body, as if she wouldn't notice! "You too," she told him, and his eyes snapped back up to her face, a pale eyebrow raising. "One more time before bed." The food had perked her up, and she was feeling a little energetic, not to mention annoyingly aroused at the feeling of him against her. She'd need the release to sleep properly, she figured. It was as good an excuse as any.

As if she had to tell him twice! Ringabel sat up to kiss her, his mouth fervent against her own. She responded in kind, her arms wrapping around his waist.

Things were blissfully quiet for a few long moments as all they did was kiss, his hands resting on her thighs, fingers kneading gently into the skin but otherwise touching her innocently. It wasn't as though she minded. She was an active person, through and through, but there were times when even she needed to rest and relax and take things slow. This was one of them, She sighed softly into his open mouth, her tongue curling around his. Heat had blossomed in her belly as they'd kissed, turned on she was by his taste and smell, but unlike previously, her appetite wasn't as voracious. She wanted him, but wanted his love more. They seemed inclusive right now.

He swallowed, and she could feel his hardness stirring against her. He felt the same. "Edea… Angel." His voice was a little low, hoarse with want. "I love you." The longing in his voice was palpable, and she closed her eyes. His words were heavy on her.

"Me too, you idiot." She laughed softly, hoping that didn't sting him. He could be very sensitive at times, and she knew that if she wanted  _them_  to last, she'd need to work how she treated him. "Come on," she murmured. "Lets get you ready to love me, okay?" She rocked back so that she could touch him a little more easily, fingers wrapping firmly around his length. He sighed, nodding, and his fingers joined hers, the two of them working up an easy rhythm. Together. She sighed and pressed herself against him, spreading her legs as his fingers of his other hand began to probe; he wanted to make sure she was ready too.

Agnès had, at Edea's bidding, leaned down against Tiz's broad chest, covering him with her body and covering them both in a sheet of her long hair. It draped over their forms, shielding them somewhat from the outside world. She smiled warmly at him, a smile he returned.

"I do love you, Tiz." She said, her cheeks warm. It was strange how it seemed more difficult to verbally express her love after the events of the evening. Such carnal actions could be explained away. The feeling in her heart didn't seem as easy to excuse.

He swallowed before replying, his throat feeling thick. "I know, Agnès. I love you too. You're still my hope." He bit his lip, worrying at the skin slightly, as was his habit, and stopped only when Agnès kissed him. Tiz had never considered himself an overly sexual person, and still wasn't very interested in it despite Ringabel trying to convince him otherwise, but Agnès' proximity and the feeling of her body tended to wake true need and desire inside of him. It was a little alien, truth be told, but sex was satisfying and being with her was an experience he enjoyed. And he loved her. He wanted Agnès to feel good as well.

She squirmed a little against him, her breasts pressing down against his chest. He breathed out; she felt too good, and he couldn't control his own arousal building up in his stomach, his cock already growing erect… how he could have possibly been good to go another time, after the last few draining hours, he had no idea.

But he wouldn't complain if Agnès didn't, his hands roaming across her soft curves until he could cradle her rear, pulling her close against him with a low noise. One of her hands drifted up between them so that she could stroke him idly, her touch gentle and feather-light, yet amazingly arousing. He liked it, even more so when she groaned as he slid his hand down her rear to press his fingers against her sex. She was already wet, and opened to him easily, her legs opening for him. Trusting him. That simple act of trust warmed him more than any amount of rolling around on the bed could do. Sure, he was a healthy man, but things felt better being in love with the person he was with, he was certain.

It took little more touching, his fingers twisting and scissoring and stretching her for his full length, and her fingers stroking and rubbing before they were ready for each other. It was Agnès who leaned back, cradling his erection against her sex with one hand before she lowered herself onto him, carefully controlling the amount she took in at a time, rolling her hips to adjust until finally she could sit, Tiz filling her completely. The Vestal made a satisfied, very pleased noise, and her hands pressed against her lower belly as though she could feel the man in her. Perhaps she could. He lifted his hand to cover hers as he sat up. He just didn't want her around her, he wanted to be against her. Her legs wrapped easily around his hips as they started to move together, arms around each other. Agnès shyly kissed his shoulder as he held her against him, and he nuzzled her. This sort of closeness was nice. The sex was secondary.

In Edea's opinion, the sex was  _great_. Sure, it  _could_  come secondary to being in love with her partner - and it did - but it still felt amazing, in her very unbiased opinion, though she wasn't too keen on trying it without the love part. Once she'd gotten Ringabel nice and hard, his cock pulsing against her fingers, she'd let him enter her. Every single time he did so it was like a new experience. There was something about being filled she didn't think she'd ever be able to adjust to, no matter how many times they had sex. She murmured her appreciation quietly at him as he rocked up into her, her own hips moving lazily down against him. Pleasure was slow to build but so nice. His eyes were closed as he leaned against her, but he smiled and kissed her neck.

The room was quiet as the couples made love to one another, punctuated only by the noises their bodies made as they slid together and quiet little moans when something particularly good was felt. Edea felt that she could almost fall asleep, as warm and fuzzy as she felt, her stomach simmering with heat instead of boiling over as it had earlier. Instead, she reached over for Agnès's hand and intertwined her fingers with those of the other woman. Agnès squeezed her hand in return and did not let go.

Some long moments later, Edea could finally feel her climax steadily building, little pinpricks between her legs that were building up to something greater. She moaned and pressed her face into Ringabel's shoulder, unable to help the erratic little rocks of her hips as she tried to reach her peak just a little faster so they could finish and sleep. Her grip on Agnès's hand tightened.

He was very perceptive to the changes of her body around him, the way her muscles clenched as she rocked down a certain way, and he tried to help her reach her climax first. He was very close himself, Edea just felt too good around him, but he had a feeling he'd be pathetically useless if he came. At least until morning- he'd already come so much this night, more than he did even at his most lecherous. At his urging, she leaned back, clutching to his shoulder and Agnès's hand for support, and he tongued one of her nipples into his mouth to suckle. He enjoyed the taste of any part of Edea's body. The sensations from her breast, from his member inside of her, and from the fingers that now began to rub against her clitoris were a little too much. Edea broke the silence of the room with a long moan, her hips thrusting.

 _Ringabel was a giant cheater,_  she thought. It all felt too good, the pleasure sparking and building, as though she was being shocked right between her legs. Electricity coursed through her to center on the  _very_  sensitive spot that he was touching, and she could not swallow the noises she made as she surged toward her climax.

"Ringabel," she whined. "Please, please…" Her voice sounded too loud in the quiet room and she bit her lip. " _Please_." She didn't know what she was begging him for - for release, for relief against the sensation she was powerless against, for his love, for  _his_  release. All of it maybe. He did not reply with words, but instead kissed her again, slipping his tongue into her open, pleading mouth. His hands moved away from her hypersensitive center and grasped her hips instead, holding her against him as he began to thrust with renewed need and vigor. ' _Yes_ ,' she thought and moaned into his mouth, the quick motions feeling deliciously good inside, her hand lifting to tug roughly at her own nipple. That was  _exactly_  what she wanted. Slow sex was very nice and all, but she was a woman of  _action_ in the end, after all.

He came hard, unable to hold back any longer, his hips stilling against hers for an instant before he continued with gentle rocks despite rapidly going soft inside her. Warmth spread in her stomach and she was aware of a creeping wetness that was her partner's seed. As always, she felt a little spark of heat added to the inferno within. It felt wonderfully thrilling to have him finish in her, a sort of dirty secret shared between only the two of them, though if she wasn't careful he was going to end up impregnating her at this rate. That... thought was an unwanted one right now, and she banished it in favor of thinking about how good he made her feel, moaning against his tongue, thick her mouth. She felt a little dizzy from it all.

A few more angled thrusts later and Edea finally hit her peak, grasping on to her breast tightly, tugging at the nipple until it was almost painful. She'd tried to be mindful of the atmosphere, but hadn't been able to contain the moan that slipped past her lips. Her legs felt like gelatin, and she would have collapsed back on the bed were it not for him holding her close, letting her relax and twitch against him. She closed her eyes and waited for Agnès and Tiz to finish, rubbing her thumb along the side of the other woman's hand.

Agnès found that her own peak was very close as well. Tiz was a very attentive and considerate lover, and he liked to focus on Agnès's own need instead of his own. His calloused hands had roamed over sensitive skin, and the contrast to his soft lips and rough touch had been a little overwhelming. She mewled slightly against his neck, clinging to him as well she could while one of her hands was still clutching Edea's. It was a contact she was not willing to let go, and she clung to the woman's hand as surely as she did her partner.

Tiz mumbled as he kissed her, and his hands pulled her close. She was not an expert at lovemaking by any stretch of the imagination, but knew what he wanted… he wanted her and that thought warmed her. Cradling the back of his head with her free hand, Agnès kissed him back, leaning excitedly against his touch. His fingers slipped back down her rear and she could feel them stroke her sex from behind even as his member moved in and out of her. Though it wasn't extremely stimulating, the action itself made her clench around him with renewed frenzy, her hips rocking down a faster pace. She was supposed to be the Crystal Vestal, above such base and carnal desires, but this was more than just physical pleasure that she sought. It was love from a man she considered her hope, his complete love - sexual or otherwise. They were partners, in every sense of the word, and she whined despite herself into his mouth as she begged him to give himself into her completely as she would give herself to him in return.

To her relief, it wasn't very much longer before the man seized underneath her, and she felt the rhythmic pulsation of him inside. She moaned at the sensation and kissed him harder, pressing her sensitive center against the base of him - she was so close to bursting with light as well that it was almost painful. Tiz seemed a little flustered, judging by the tentative ways his hands cradled her rear, and she leaned back so he could have free access to her entire body. He accepted her quiet invitation to touch her as he had earlier, his fingers stroking her between her legs as he slipped out of her, his lips closing around a nipple. She sighed with pleasure, and ran her fingers through his hair, letting him suckle and touch, and as before, she was quickly overwhelmed, coming over his fingers and crying out his name as something inside of her snapped when the pleasure grew too much. She sagged against him, as spent as she was after the Rite of Awakening. He held her close, and his fingers curled against her back as they leaned against one another.

There was a silence in the room, thick as the smell of sex around them, until Tiz groaned, falling back on the small bed and bringing Agnès with him. Her grip finally released on Edea's hand as she cradled his tired face with both of her hands, rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs. She wiped away the tears that had rolled down his cheeks at some unknown point, an unreadable look on her features.

"We need to sleep," he muttered, and his eyes were already slipping shut. "We've  _really_  got to sleep this time."

There were murmurs of agreement from the rest of the party, and they tried to make themselves comfortable on the bed. Though there were two, it didn't seem to right to part, not after the night they'd spent together. Edea found herself pressed against Agnès and Ringabel, spooning the other woman while being spooned by the man, and she kissed Agnès's back gently as they settled in. She was a little hungry again, but would just make up for that in the morning, she decided, too comfortable to move. Like a bug in a rug.

Ringabel's hand was tucked against her tummy, and she covered it with her own. He kissed the top of her head.

"Hey… guys?" Edea asked after a moment, not certain who was even awake. After what had happened between them this night, she needed to make something clear. Quiet met her words for a moment before Agnès answered.

"Yes, Edea."

Ringabel and Tiz tiredly groaned their responses, exhaustion having taken them much more harshly than it did the two women. Edea supposed that was just guys for you, though. They were such weaklings!

"I love you," She said quietly. "All of you. Ringabel, of course. But you and Tiz as well, Agnès."

"I love you too," Agnès replied, the smile audible in her voice.

Again, the two boys groaned their responses, though Edea could interpret the agreement in their tones. Silly sleepy boys, she thought fondly, and snuggled back against Ringabel, who squeezed her. She knew how he felt already. He didn't have to tell her again, this was fine.

"Lets do this again," Edea pondered out loud, her chest feeling tight. "After tomorrow, we'll have lots of spare time..."

Tomorrow they would enter the Dark Aurora again. They'd fight through a sea of countless monsters, stronger and more dangerous than they had encountered before. They'd defeat that traitorous Airy, and maybe the Master she'd forced them to be a slave to. White always prevailed over black, didn't it? And then they'd go home. And they would have the rest of the lives together, one way or another. Edea knew this to be true, in the core of her being. It had taken so long for them to learn to love each other this way amongst all the other ways they'd explored before, and the special bond they now shared would always be with them. Maybe it made them weird to outsiders, but Edea found this just  _perfect_.

"Yes," Agnès agreed quietly, her voice masking some pain. Edea kissed the other girl's back again.

"Yeah," Tiz chimed in finally and she felt his hand pat hers where it rested Agnès's waist.

"Of course," Ringabel cooed into Edea's ear, his lips ghosting along the edge. "I wouldn't have it any other way." She elbowed him, but allowed his hand to crawl up and cradle her breast all the same. His hand was large enough to cover it completely, fingers tugging her nipple. And then, once they all fell quiet again, she snuggled down into the warmth and love surrounding her on all sides from her friends, falling asleep quickly and completely.

She woke the next morning only when the sun hit her eyes. Groaning a little with discomfort, not only at the sharpness of the light, but the soreness in her limbs and between her legs that had settled in over the night, she wiggled and stretched and tried to remove herself from between Ringabel and Agnès. As much as she would have liked to stay, it was almost uncomfortably warm now (and she kind of needed to pee).

Tiz was already awake and he quietly offered a hand to help her out, putting a finger to his lips. "They're still asleep," He told her in a quiet whisper, as though it weren't obvious from the way that neither of their partners stirred as Edea finally extracted herself, nearly falling into Tiz once her foot was free. He held her waist gently, almost gingerly. Both of them were still nude from the night before, and while Edea's eyes swept over his lean form appreciatively in the new light, he was more of a gentlemanly sort, looking away.

"I… know. Ringabel's quiet for once." she said, unable to stop herself from making a sharp remark Ringabel and his sleeping habits after all this time. Tiz grinned at her, probably thinking the same thing, and the two of them settled on the last remaining decent bed to watch their partners sleep, Tiz tucking an extra blanket around them both. She kissed his cheek as thanks and he flushed hotly, elbowing her when she giggled at his expense, before he leaned into her. She wrapped an arm around him, considered continuing off from last night and... shook her head. It just wouldn't be the same with just the two of them.

A long hot bath sounded nice, but it could wait for the others to wake… it would have to, she decided, watching Ringabel roll over until he was draped warmly over the Vestal with a smile on his face, the other woman making a noise of contentment at the contact. They snuggled a little together, and Edea let Tiz rest his head in her lap as he got comfortable while they waited, his eyes ever watchful. It would be good if he dozed, she thought as she stroked his messy hair, because he probably hadn't slept well the night before as usual. And once their partners awoke they'd probably cuddle, then eat. Or eat, then cuddle, both sounded good... then they'd clean up, and laugh, and hopefully take a good bath. Maybe eat again. Then they'd set out to save the worlds. To heal that angry wound upon the earth. To right what they'd made wrong.

They would do all of that, together.


End file.
